Both Ends of the Spectrum
by Licy4
Summary: Doc Martin Set after the end of series 3. The doc is in for a few surprises.
1. Personal Visitor

Title: Both Ends of the Spectrum

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Doc Martin is not mine. I'm just playing with the characters for a bit.

Summary: Set after the end of the third series. Martin is in for a few surprises.

xXx

Pauline barely looked up as the youngster entered, her eyes instead trained on the screen in front of her, which showed the MSN conversation she was having with a friend in Delabole.

"Hi. I'm looking for Dr Ellingham," the girl began when she got no encouragement from the receptionist.

"Do you have an appointment?" Pauline asked, typing away.

"No, it's not a medical matter. It's personal."

Pauline stopped what she was doing instantly and turned her attention to the new arrival, "What kind of personal?"

The girl smiled and teased a stray lock of curly blonde hair back behind her ear, "The private kind."

Annoyed by the lack of forthcoming information, Pauline turned back to the computer, "He's with his last patient. You can wait if you want."

"Thank you." The girl looked around the sparse waiting room of the doctor's surgery, eying up the small collection of out-of-date magazines and the mismatch of furniture. Deciding on a comfortable looking leather seat and a two-year-old copy of OK, she sat down to wait. However, no sooner had she opened the glossy front cover, than the inner office door opened and an elderly woman was ushered out by a grumpy, suited man.

"Is that it, Pauline?" he asked, brusquely.

"That's it for patients. You've got a personal visitor," Pauline told him, stressing the word 'personal'.

Martin turned to face his visitor, "Who are you?"

Gulping at the stern look he was giving her, she spoke quietly, "Lucy Melville. You knew my mother, Jessica."

The doctor visibly paled at the mention of the woman's name, "You'd better come through."

"I'll be off then, doc," Pauline called as Martin and Lucy retreated to his office. Her only reply was the slamming door.

"I wasn't aware Jessica had a daughter," Martin said once he and Lucy were seated at opposite sides of his desk.

"She didn't when you knew her," Lucy replied, still unnerved by the man.

"No, I suppose not. It has been a long time since we spoke. How is she?"

Lucy looked him straight in the eye for the first time, "She's dead."

Martin visibly recoiled at the news, "I'm sorry to hear that."

The girl nodded, "It's actually why I'm here. You see, I've never met my father and it wasn't until my mother's will was read that I found out his name."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand why that's brought you here," Martin said when she paused.

"Dr Ellingham," Lucy smiled, "You are my father."


	2. Too Personal

"Dr Ellingham," Lucy smiled, "You are my father."

"No, I'm sorry," Martin said, shaking his head, "Your mother must have been mistaken."

Lucy nodded and began rummaging in her bag, "I know. I knew you'd say that, so I got one of these paternity tests kits. If we post it today we can have the results in three days."

"Miss Melville, I am nobody's father," he insisted, moving to the door and holding it open, "Now if you don't mind…"

"So you didn't have sex with my mum seventeen years ago?" Lucy asked bluntly, desperate not to lose her chance.

"No, I…" Martin thought back in his head, "Well, yes, but…"

"Are you unable to have children?" she continued.

He spluttered, "I…I don't…"

"Then there is every chance you are my father," Lucy summarised, "Look, do the test. If it comes back that you're not, you'll never see me again. If you are, we'll figure out what to do then. Dr Ellingham, I just lost my mother."

Martin stared at her as he tried to decide what to do. Unfortunately, all he saw staring back at him were Jessica's puppy dog eyes reborn in her daughter, and he had never been able to resist them. Sensing his resistance failing, Lucy held out the sample tip.

"If it will get rid of you," he spat, snatching the instrument from her hand, swabbing the inside of his cheek, and handing it back to her.

She grinned and sealed it in its tube, "It will. I'm staying at the Port Wenn hotel. I'll be back in three days."

As she sailed out of the room, Martin sat down behind his desk deep in thought. Jessica Melville was a woman he had spent a long time trying to forget and the arrival of her daughter, a girl almost a carbon copy of her mother, had brought all kinds of memories flooding back. However, for all their exterior similarities, Lucy did not sound or act like Jessica. The woman he had known was shy and sweet and would never have asked such bold questions as her daughter had just done. Lucy was sharper and seemed less tolerant of fools and of not getting her own way than Jessica had been.

The main thing that kept repeating itself in his mind was how he was going to manage to be father to a teenage girl. He had absolutely no idea how to be a father and even less idea about teenage girls. He had to get a second opinion, and there was only one person who could help him.

xXx

"Jessica told her you're her father?" Joan asked, sipping at her tea, not perturbed in the slightest by her nephew's news.

"In her will," Martin told her as they sat in her kitchen an hour later.

"And you've done a paternity test?"

"The girl had it with her."

Joan finished off her drink, "Then I'm not sure what it is you want from me."

"Well, I don't really know either, but…you knew Jessica. Did she seem the type?"

"What type is that?"

"The type to have a baby without informing its father?" he clarified.

"Why did you two split up?"

"I don't remember," Martin replied, suspiciously quickly.

"Liar," Joan challenged.

Martin knew he would never get anything past his all-knowing aunt, "She wanted commitment. I told her I wasn't able to commit to her because of my career."

Joan smiled wryly, "Let me guess, your exact words were 'My career has to come first right now'." Martin looked shocked at her guess. "And you wonder why she didn't tell you? Come on."

He watched in confusion as she stood from the table and pulled her coat on, "Where are we going?"

"I'm going to meet my great-niece," she explained, "I'll know if she's your daughter."


	3. Personal Information

**Wow. Six years to the day since I posted my first story on here. Doesn't time fly? **

xXx

"Auntie Joan, Lucy. Lucy, Auntie Joan," Martin introduced quickly as the two women met.

"I'm so sorry to hear about your mother, Lucy. I liked her very much," Joan began.

"You knew her?" Lucy questioned, surprised.

"Oh yes. Martin brought her to visit a couple of times. Lovely girl. You're the image of her."

Lucy smiled proudly, "Everyone says that."

"How did she die?" the older woman asked gently.

"Cancer. She had it twice, once when I was little, but she got better, then it came back last year. There was nothing they could do for her."

"I can't imagine what you've been through."

"At least we had time to plan, say goodbye. So many people don't get that opportunity," Lucy smiled, but the pain in her eyes was evident. Clearly, the events of her life had forced her to mature at a faster rate than most girls and her experiences had taught her to be an adult, not a teenager.

Joan nodded, "Look, why don't you two have a chat while I pop over to the shop. I need to grab a few bits."

"Auntie Joan!" Martin called, but the woman had already left the table of the outdoor café and was heading in the direction of the shops. He looked back at the youngster, who was looking expectantly at him.

"How old are you?" he asked, the only thing he could think of to say.

"I'll be seventeen in September," she replied, unfazed by the question.

"So you're…at school?"

"I finished my GCSEs in June. I want to go on a do A-levels, but I'm not sure where yet."

Joan watched from a concealed spot as the pair talked, not exactly animatedly, but at least they were conversing. She knew from the moment she saw that girl that she was Martin's daughter, and the first time she opened her mouth confirmed it.

"Are you okay, Joan?" Louisa asked, arriving behind the woman.

Joan turned to face the teacher, "Yes, yes, I'm fine."

Louisa looked over the woman's shoulder to see what she had been watching, "Who is that with Martin?"

Joan knew that it was wrong to divulge the confidences of her nephew, but she also knew that he and Louisa always needed a little bit of help to get their relationship going. Perhaps, she thought, if Louisa could see him with Lucy, she would see another side to him.

"This is not to go any further, do you understand? No-one," Joan began.

Louisa looked at her in confusion, "Why? What's the secret?"

"That," Joan indicated the girl, "is Martin's daughter."

"His daughter?" Louisa repeated, incredulous.

"She showed up earlier today," Joan expanded.

"Did Martin know about her?"

Joan shook her head, "No, he had no idea. Her mother never told him."

"Who is her mother?" Louisa continued, the questions falling from her mouth without her really thinking about them.

"Girl called Jessica, the only one of his girlfriends I've ever met." Although they were talking, Joan and Louisa were not looking at each other; instead they were still watching the pair over in the café.

"They were serious then?"

"I thought they'd get married."

"So what happened?"

"Martin happened." Louisa smiled, knowing from first hand experience what that meant. "They split up and she left. She's dead now. That's why Lucy wanted to find her dad."

"Poor girl," Louisa sympathised, "So how's he coping?"

"He thinks Jessica made a mistake, but Lucy, tenacious little thing that she is, brought a paternity test with her, so in three days we'll all know for sure."

"But you think she is his?"

Joan shrugged, "I can just tell."

Louisa sighed and relaxed backwards so she could no longer see the doctor and his girl, "You know, even on our wedding day, I never really saw him as a dad."

Joan turned to the younger woman, "When are you going to tell him?"

"Tell him what?" Louisa asked.

"That you're pregnant," Joan clarified, matter-of-factly.


	4. Getting Personal

"That you're pregnant," Joan clarified, matter-of-factly.

Louisa's mouth gaped in shock, "How did you know?"

"My dear, I am an old woman. I know the signs," the woman said gently, knowing that the other woman was nervous, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Louisa replied, "I'm not even three months gone yet."

"He is still your doctor. He will find out," Joan reminded her.

"I know," Louisa acknowledged, quietly, "I'm just not ready yet."

Joan nodded in understanding, "Well, if you need anything, you know where I am. Now, I'd better go and rescue poor Lucy." The two women turned together back towards the café and were surprised by what they saw.

"Is he…?" Louisa stuttered, "Is he smiling?"

xXx

Martin was surprised that he liked the youngster very much and, with every passing moment, found himself more and more convinced that he was her father. Her words, opinions and expressions were just the same as his and he seemed to converse much more easily with her than he did with most people.

After they left Lucy at the café, Joan was full of praise for the youngster, who she had spoken to more after returning to the table. Joan's approval gave Martin more confidence in his own impression of the girl.

"Auntie Joan, if she is my daughter," he began, eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead, "what am I supposed to do with her?"

"You have to be her father. Make up for lost time," she told him.

Looking across the car, she could see the worried expression that had come over his features. She understood that he was nervous and that he doubted his own ability. He had hardly had the best parental influences during his childhood but, despite his outwardly harsh and brusque exterior, her nephew was capable of deep love and was very caring. It was the reason he had gone into medicine in the first place, before world finished what his parents had started and turned him into an emotional recluse. It was the Martin she had observed years earlier with Jessica. He would make a fine father, just as Louisa would make a fine mother.

xXx

In the two days that remained until the test results came through, Martin felt himself growing attached to Lucy. She had revealed that she hoped to go to medical school eventually, following in her mother's footsteps, and that she already had an excellent medical knowledge from being surrounded by doctors and textbooks as a child. This, and Jessica herself, gave the pair plenty to talk about.

The evening before the results came through Martin, Lucy and Joan went for dinner at Bert's, which was now fully operational again after the flood.

"Evening doc, Joan, miss," Bert greeted as he came to take their order, "Listen doc, your meal tonight is on the house. Just my way of saying sorry for what happened at the wedding."

"That's not necessary, Bert," Martin told him, "There was no reception to spoil."

"No, I suppose not. Okay, well, what will it be?"

After they had ordered and Bert had gone, Lucy leaned in, "Whose wedding?"

Martin and Joan exchanged a look, before he spoke hesitantly, "I was due to get married a couple of months ago, but it didn't go ahead."

"Why not?" Lucy prompted.

"We came to the mutual decision that we were not suited," he explained, as simply and calmly as he could.

"Oh," Lucy murmured, "Why not?"

"I don't want to discuss this," he said, his tone indicating that he was not to be argued with. Joan smiled to herself. She knew that if her nephew was totally over his ex-fiancee, then he would have had no hesitation in holding no punches when explaining why they were no longer together. His hesitation, however, showed that he was not ready to talk, and so not ready to dismiss the relationship altogether.

The topic of conversation moved back onto Lucy, as she told them about herself, her life and her hopes for the future. The food came and the plates were taken away and all was going well until a distressed voice could be heard floating down from the street above.

"Doc! Doc, quick!" Pauline called, appearing at the top of the stairs and spying her boss immediately, "Doc, it's Louisa, she's in agony."


	5. Impersonal

"Doc! Doc, quick!" Pauline called, appearing at the top of the stairs and spying her boss immediately, "Doc, it's Louisa, she's in agony."

Martin was instantly on his feet, "Get my bag, Pauline. Where is she?"

"Outside the school," Pauline shouted as she headed into the surgery and Martin ran off down the road.

"Who's Louisa?" Lucy asked as she followed Joan up the stairs and down towards the school.

"Headmistress at the primary school and the woman Martin was supposed to marry," Joan explained.

Martin had, by this time, arrived at Louisa's side, guided to her by the sounds of her screams. She was lying on the floor just outside the gate to the school she loved so much, clutching her stomach, crying out in pain.

"Martin!" she sobbed as she saw him, desperately reaching out for his hand, "Please help me, Martin, please."

"Louisa, calm down, I need you to tell me where it hurts," he told her, fighting to remain calm while seeing her in such a state.

"My stomach," she moaned, more quietly than before, reassured by the man's presence, "My baby."

He stopped dead in his examination at her words, "Your what?"

Her eyes opened and focussed on his, her only thought for the wellbeing of the child, not concerned that it was the worst possible way for him to find out, "Am I losing my baby?"

He stared at her, too shocked to respond and she, taking his silence as confirmation, began to sob again in distress. The sound of the ambulance approaching broke through the commotion and Joan, who had arrived with Lucy on her heels, moved forward and wrapped Louisa in a hug. Martin stood and moved away from the scene, watching from a distance as the woman he still loved was bundled into the back of the ambulance with his auntie and driven off.

Lucy saw the crowd disperse, the people going off to go about their business and share what had just happened with the rest of the town. She could see Martin still leaning against the stone wall next to the school gate, staring at the spot where Louisa had been. Unsure of exactly what she was supposed to do in the situation, she hesitated every step of the way to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently as she finally reached him.

Surprised that he wasn't alone, he turned towards her, "She's pregnant."

"Is it yours?"

"Don't you dare make insinuations like that about Louisa! Who the hell do you think you are?" he snapped, his eyes glistening with anger and sadness.

"Wow, calm down. I've never met the woman, I was just asking," Lucy retorted, throwing her hands up in mock surrender, before calming her own voice, understanding he was upset, "Do you think you should go to the hospital then?"

He shook his head, "She doesn't want me there. You heard her. She called it 'her baby'."

"But it is your baby too…" Lucy began, but the man cut her off.

"I think we're finished for tonight. Let me know when the results arrive."

Lucy watched him walk away and, with a sigh and a glance at the spot where the woman had lain previously, headed back to her hotel.

xXx

It was still early when the phone started to ring. Martin looked over at it suspiciously, wide awake, just as he had been all night. There were very few people who he would want to talk to and he suspected that none of them would be on the other end of the line. Luckily, he was wrong.

"Martin, I think you should come to the hospital," Joan said frankly as soon as she heard her nephew's voice.

"Auntie Joan, I…"

"No, Martin, don't say anything. This is not about what you want or how you feel. Like it or not you have personal responsibilities and it's time you faced up to them."


	6. Personalities

**Hi. It would be great if someone could let me know that they're not hating this. If no-one likes it, I won't bother posting the rest. Actually, I probably will anyway, mainly because it will annoy me to leave it half posted. Also, if anyone spots any mistakes or inconsistencies, please let me know and I will try to rectify them. Thanks. **

xXx

"Pauline, cancel morning surgery," he instructed as he ran down the stairs half an hour later, not stopping as he rushed through reception.

"What shall I tell people?" the loyal receptionist asked, surprised by her boss' request.

He came back into the room from the kitchen, "Tell them I'm busy."

"Right, will do," she replied as the front door closed, "Bye then."

xXx

"Martin!" Lucy called as she headed up the hill, spotting the man heading out of the front door of the surgery and towards his car.

"I'm in a rush. Come back later," he told her.

"But I've got the results."

He stopped and looked at her, "Well?"

"I haven't opened them yet. I thought we could do it together," she replied, slightly taken aback by his change in attitude towards her.

He sighed and thought for a few moments, "Get in."

"Where are we going?" Lucy asked once they were on the road.

"To the hospital."

Lucy watched the passing scenery for a few moments, deciding whether to ask her next question or not. Characteristically for her, it was a probing question that most people would not have been confident enough to ask, but the young lady was not afraid of saying the wrong thing or ending up on the wrong side of someone.

"Do you love her?" she asked suddenly, her decision made.

Martin gripped the steering wheel, "Who?"

Lucy rolled her eyes at his stalling tactics, "Louisa, of course."

"That's none of your business."

"Do you love her more than you loved mum?"

He took his eyes off of the road for a moment to glance at her, "Does it matter?"

"No," she shook her head, "I was just wondering." They went back to sitting in silence.

"Your mother and I weren't suited," he said eventually.

"So you're not suited to mum or Louisa? Just who are you suited to?" she got no reply, "Or is 'not suited' just your way of saying 'I'm too self-involved'."

"Excuse me!" he began indignantly, but the girl wasn't finished.

"No, you know what, the reason my mum never told you about me was because you couldn't see anything past your fancy career. If you had thought about her for one moment I might have had a father for the last seventeen years and she might still be alive!"

"You can't blame me for your mother's death. She had cancer!" he shouted.

"I have to blame someone," she whispered. He turned to her in shock at the change in her tone and found that her face was red with tears. Luckily, they were now pulling into the hospital car park.

"Stop crying," he ordered, unsure about what else to do, but the girl didn't comply, "Louisa and your mother are very different. My feelings for them are very different."

"But you loved her?" Lucy sniffled, wiping at her eyes.

"Yes, I did."

"If you loved her, why did you let her leave?"

"She wanted me to choose. I chose my career."

"Why?"

He sighed, "Because a career can't hurt you." Lucy looked up at him in confusion. "There is so much you don't understand yet. Everyone you trust lets you down eventually."

"So you push away anyone who might get close enough to you for it to hurt when they leave?" she realised, but he didn't reply, "What about me?"

"You're different."

"Why? Because if we are related I'm stuck with you?" she smiled, "You know, that's a really stupid thing to do. Is that why you're so miserable?"

"I'm not miserable," he protested.

"It's not too late to change things," she told him, "Mum may be dead, but Louisa isn't."

Martin studied the girl carefully. She had stopped crying now, but her cheeks were still red from the tears, and she was still clutching the envelope she had received in the post that morning.

"Are you going to open that?"


	7. Finally Personal

Louisa was sleeping as he approached the bed and he found himself mesmerised by the sight. During the brief time they had spent together, he had often found himself entranced by her as they lay together, her rhythmical breathing a constant reminder that she was real and with him. Now, though, her breathing was reassuring him that she was alive and well, that he hadn't lost her for good.

Sitting down on the seat next to her stark hospital bed, his thoughts returned to where they had been the night before. Whilst failing to sleep, he had also failed to gain any semblance of a grasp on the situation and his feelings on his second impending fatherhood were still in tatters. He didn't know which thing to react to first, Lucy's arrival, Louisa's distress, or the fact that she was carrying his child. Emotions never being one of his strong points, it was taking him to breaking point working out what to do.

He didn't notice when her eyes opened slowly, blinking away the remains of sleep, as they focussed on the man sitting nearby. His head was down in thought, his hands wringing together in anticipation and worry. She knew he would be in turmoil, desperately confused but also tragically unable to convey his feelings. When they were together, it was at times like these that she cherished most. The times when he was struggling and she could put her hand on his arm, lean in and kiss him gently, and the confusion was gone. He would still be struggling, of course, but he knew she was there for him, whatever. She could make everything better.

"Martin," she murmured quietly, reaching out to touch his arm.

He knew the familiar gesture, it was her tactic for calming him down, and he knew what would normally come next. He also knew that she was unable to complete the ritual herself and would need some help. Moving slowly from his seat, he sat on the edge of her bed, careful to avoid sitting on her, and leaned down into her kiss.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said as he moved back, "I couldn't believe it myself."

He nodded, "I just spoke to Joan. The doctors have said you're okay? You're both okay?"

"Yeah, we're both okay. They kept me in for observation overnight, but I can go home today. I just have to take it easy."

"Good," he replied, "Louisa, what do you want to do? I mean, obviously I will take financial responsibility for the child, but what are your plans?"

"My plans?" she repeated with annoyance, "I don't have any plans. I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that in six months I'm going to have a baby."

"You are having the baby then?"

She wrapped the blanket round her, smoothing the material carefully over her still flat stomach, "I can't face any of the alternatives."

"Have you got a scan booked?"

"Not quite," she answered, leaning out of the bed, opening a drawer and removing a small pile of square bits of paper, "Here."

Martin took the objects from her hand and trained his eyes on them. Photo after photo of his unborn infant, arms, legs, head, all perfectly formed.

"They wanted to check everything was okay," she explained as he looked through the images, "That's our baby. It's perfect."

He took a deep breath, "A few days ago, a teenage girl told me I was her father. This morning, a paternity test confirmed it. I have missed nearly seventeen years of her life, please tell me you're not going to make me miss a moment of this baby's life."

She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes and threatening to fall, "Of course not. You're a good man, Martin. I know you don't love me, but I know you'll love and support this baby."

"What on earth makes you think I don't love you?" he questioned, brow wrinkling in confusion at her statement.

"The whole calling-off-the-wedding thing was a hint," she told him.

"You said I wouldn't make you happy," he replied, slightly angry that he was being blamed for the debacle

"You said I wouldn't make _you_ happy!"

"You said it first!"

Her voice calmed, "So, you do love me?"

"Yes, of course," was his highly unusually honest and open response.

Buoyed by his answer, she gingerly took his hand on the sheets, "So, let's go through this. You love me. I love you. We're having a baby."

"Yes."

"Right," she couldn't face looking at him, so instead she focussed on their intertwined hands, "So why aren't we still together?"


	8. Family Personal

**Okay, last bit. Thank you to hme and A for replying. It was greatly appreciated. I hope you both enjoy this last bit, and anyone else who may be reading.**

xXx

"Come on, get on with it, we haven't got all day," Joan encouraged.

"I'm trying. You know, I'm a city girl, I wasn't made for this," Lucy replied.

Joan laughed as her great-niece looked nervously into the small wooden house inside the main chicken coop. The youngster had been hovering near the structure for a good ten minutes building up the courage to insert her hand.

"One egg, Luce," Joan called, "One egg and I'll let you out."

"This is false imprisonment. I could have you arrested for this," Lucy warned.

"Not until you get out." The attention of both women was caught by a car pulling into the drive of Joan's large farmhouse.

"Dad!" Lucy called as the occupants emerged, "She's locked me in here!"

"Good," Martin replied, supporting his companion by the arm as they picked their way across the grass to join Joan by the door of the coop.

"I've told her, if she's going to move down here she's got to learn how to do this kind of thing. The fuss she's making you'd think I'd just asked her to kill a cow."

"Don't you dare," Lucy told the older woman, spinning round to face her growing audience.

"Stop moaning. Egg. Now," Joan repeated, clearly, before turning to the new arrivals, "And how are we all this afternoon?"

"Not too bad. Glad the school holidays have started," Louisa replied.

"Yes, you can get some much needed rest," Joan agreed, "You've only been out of hospital two weeks. You shouldn't have been back at work so soon."

"Well, there were only two weeks of term left. And I was only catching up on paperwork," Louisa defended, "but on the topic of rest, we do have something to ask you. And you, Lucy."

Lucy gratefully moved from her position by the chicken house and stood near the door, looking through the fencing at the others, "What's up?"

"You ask, Martin," Louisa instructed, hand protectively placed over her ever-so-slightly rounded stomach.

"Okay, well, Louisa and I are going away for a few days and we wondered if you would both accompany us," he explained.

"Why would you want us on holiday with you?" Joan asked, surprised by the request.

"Well, it seemed appropriate for you to be there," Martin told her.

"Where are you going?" Lucy asked.

Louisa could no longer suppress her grin as the man spoke, "Gretna Green."

Joan's delighted expression was quickly hidden as she wrapped her nephew and his partner in consecutive hugs, "You are going to go through with it this time though, aren't you? I mean, we're not going all the way up to Scotland for you to back out."

"No, no, it'll definitely happen this time, Auntie Joan," Martin assured the older woman.

"Cool," Lucy chirped, edging away from a stray chicken, "I've never been to Scotland."

Joan turned back to face the youngster, "And you never will unless you get me an egg!"


End file.
